We are a husband and wife team… Both of us were born in beautiful Somalia.

We live in Canada, our adopted homeland. We like travelling, photography and food. We love food, but we don’t live to eat. Nor do we eat to live. We live in between.

We love to cook and entertain. And we like to share. We want to share with you our love for Somalia and our memories of growing up there. Of peaceful and tranquil times.

Somali food is simple. No elaborate sauces or flavour extremes. It is not spicy hot nor is it bland. Through this website, we will attempt to cover all regions of Somalia and we will also venture into neighbouring countries. If there is anything we have learnt from our passion for food, it is about how the world is interconnected, and about our common humanity.

Today, Somalia is wounded. We look forward to a Somalia where unity and diversity prevail, where differences are celebrated, where everyone enjoys full rights regardless of race, creed, and gender, and where no one is above the law.

“Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we all agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, food and coffee. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone’s human right.”

AWWB Abdullahi iyo Laila YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING WALAAHI YOU HAVE TURNED ME TO A CHIEF lol I am addicted to your website above all ilaahey cimri dheer iyo caafimaad ha idin siiyo you are the best you are doing an Amazing job keep up the good work Kudos. May God Be with you and Bless you.

I had wondered why the name “Xawaash” for your website but it made a lot of sense when I pondered over it. The use of spices is almost as old as human history itself.
The tiny but fertile islands of East of Africa are sources for several of the finest spices. Some of the spices are going to overlap and be used in many countries. One of the things that make each cuisine its own unique thing is the unique combinations of even similar spices. In our foods, we enjoy the ‘spice of life’ so I do believe that “Xawaash” is an apt name for this website. Very creative and very well done. Congratulations!

Many congrats and encouragements from your family across the Atlantic (Manchester, UK). I must say that I’m overwhelmed by your website and the birth of this concept. Its Amazing….High class. Loving it totally. All this food display makes me appreciate my mum very much. In this busy and fast-paced world, where most people have replaced our delicious bravanese delights for quick fast-food packages, she still goes out of her way to make all these meals for us. May God always bless her and all those who strive to preserve good in this life. Ameen.

Thank you very much Safiyah for your wonderful comments! That will sure give us a boost. It is nice to know that the effort we put in this website is being recognized.
Best wishes to you and all the family.

i love your website keep it up. i was wondering one of those days if you could add fress tuna from scratch. this will remind me the time i have spend in brava. thank you for the geat gift you have giving us.

Asalama Aleykum! Masha Allah! May Allah bring a lot of baraka to you and your family for all the efforts you have put in to this website. I love the professionalism and the great quality of video and pictures you have posted. I absolutely love the beautiful images and the easy step by step process in to making a xawaash dish. We often eat with our eyes, and all your recipes look exquisite and delicious. I have already tried a recipe and can’t wait to try more mouthwatering dishes. Please keep up the good work and keep those recipes coming.

Wa-Aleykum As-salaam! Thank you very much for your comment. We feel touched. May God Almighty bless you and your family. We hope to bring you more and more recipes and while it is a lot of work, we are enjoying it every step of the way.

Salaamualaykum, this blog is amazing and I love how you’ve given such detail into the Somali cuisine. As a second generation Somali living in the UK, it can be a little easy to forget about your culture and its cuisine so I’ll definitely be referring to your blog when I have a home of my own and I’ll be using your recipes!

It’s as though I’ve been transported to Somalia with all the food. Well done

Thank you for your comment. However, please don’t wait till you have a home of your own. Invite some friends and whip up a Somali meal. It will be a good practice for you as you showcase your culture and transport them to Somalia.

I’m so happy I found you blog, been browsing through your posts and I find everything so fascinating, the traditions, stories, perfect recipes and easy methods of preparations, the design and authenticity. The press is showing Somalia in black and white but your blog is a testimony of how diverse and wonderful your country, culture and traditions really are. I’ll surely be coming back for more vegan/vegetarian recipes.
Wish you continued success, may the blog grow bigger and bigger:)

asalamu aleykum, masha allah, I am in love with your blog, I have been looking for something like this(somali food) for a while, alhamdulilah I found you guys, thank you for sharing with us all, god bless you. have a nice day..

I am a Somali woman born in Tanzania. I had never been in Somalia but I could smell and enjoy everything from Somalia while living in Tanzania. My father had a problem of integration in Tanzania and his best wishes was to one day fly with his family back to Burco… Somalia. Unfortunately he could not be able to do that and he passed away before he fulfilled his wishes. But what my father did was to make sure that we speak Somali, dance and sing Somali…eat Somali food listen to the beautiful sound of Radio Mogadisho and from that aspect we could feel like we were in Somalia!!!! Later on we had tremendous new neighbors who came from Barawa and hade lived in Mombasa, Kenya before moving to Tanzania, because of their family business which was booming in that part of Tanzania.
Through that family I could learn more dimension of differences among Somali people and what that different culture made Somalia to what it was. This story is very long, because I am planning one day to write a book then you may enjoy this story soon…..:-)!

Now I want to come to the point why I am writing this to you…First I want to congratulate you so much for the blog with the name Xawaash. For a few days ago a friend of me sent me that blog and I could not imagine that was true!!! I really love you guys!! I live in Sweden since 1986 and would like to follow up you site and even tell all my friends about that. You have made a revolution and keep going!!! If you want any receipt from me I can also send you………!

The way you wrote your comment proves that you are a proud Somali raised by a caring Somali father, may he rest in peace and may God accept him in Heaven. Just by reading your comment we feel confident that you will write an excellent book with very interesting stories. We look forward to it.

Once again thank you for your wonderful comment. It is sufficient to keep us going. It’s our contribution to our fellow Somalis and readers as we attempt to share our culture and heritage with the rest of the world.

Congrats on such a wonderful website, there are alot people like myself who grew up in the west and need help in cooking Somali Food now that we have grown and no longer live with Mom and Grandma. The specialists! Thanks again. Question? Do you guys operate a restaurant? If not, you should. I would love to invest!!!

I’m very impressed with the website and recipes! Thank you very much for putting this together. As a dental student in the United States, it is hard to get good Somali food since I don’t live with family. I had called my mother several times and had her give me tutorials on how to cook over the phone. Now, with your help, I have been able to finesse my cooking abilities and I couldn’t be more happier. Thank you for all your effort and passion for Somali cuisine.

I salute you and my hat is off to you. I do not know where to start because I am very happy and excited to see your food blog. You guys made the most beautiful Somali Food Blog. I wish I can talk to you right now and express how I feel about your wonderful work.

Asalaamu Caleykum first and foremost i like you thank you both husband and wife for a great blog and great recipes mashallah wonderful blog , I live in sweden. before your website i kind use to travel home a lot, I kind of miss moms cooking. I was student/worker at the time.
Now i picked up the cooking and the recipe for this website. Alhamdullilah it is going great thanks to your videos and pics. Now when i go home, I do the cooking and my mom is amazed. She thinks i got a invisible wife that tutors me. Even my closest friends started cooking Somali recipes as we are all students. We thank you and my hat is off for you. Wish you both continue with you work that inspired us. Inshallah i wish you well. Take care. Love from Sweden.

Thank you Abdirasaaq. We are very happy that the website was so helpful for you. Thank you for the nice story about your experiences and about how your friends have started cooking Somali food. This by itself makes all our efforts worthwhile. We will keep posting those recipes, God willing, and we hope that you will keep cooking!

Dear, Leila and Abdullahi,
MaashaAllah you are a wonderful couple we are sick of hearing about war and famine and pirate this blog of yours is a new revolution for all Somalis to come up with creative ideas like yours and erase that ugly image of Somalis.Keep up the good work!
JSQ

Hello Leila & Abdullahi,
Thank you so much for sharing our homeland, Somalia. We feel warmth and welcomed when we watch your well produced videos. We say Mashallah every time we watch your videos. You’re very creative and funny at the same time. Well done guys. Keep up the good work.
P.S. Your style is excellent and we enjoy the music as well.

Thank you very much, Abdirahman & Fartun. When we started Xawaash, we had a feeling that it will be well-received. However, the response has been so overwhelming and it was beyond our wildest expectations. It just shows that there is a lot of good in the world.

Wacalayku Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaautuhu
Oodkac! Wow! We love oodkac and what would a website like Xawaash be without oodkac… Insha-Allah we will post an easy and delicious recipe for oodkac.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.

I’ve already commented on a couple of your videos and I just wanted to say how great your website is. Clearly a lot of effort and creativity has gone into its development. I miss Mum’s food and now thanks to you, I get to try to cook some of these classic Somali dishes. I love the combination of Somali music with the videos. Time to wipe the dust off the stovetop!

This is a wonderful idea you came up with. Its so kind of you to share your tasty recipes and help young females like me in the kitchen. I recently got married and my husband loves somalian food. Your site will help me so much and keep my husband smiling hahaha.

This website must have taken many effort to develop and run. I can tell you have great passion for Somali cousin! Great pictures, well done!

I also have one passion, that many of my friends know: I make and drink Camelachino! That is coffee made with fresh camel milk instead of cow milk. I have pictures, so, guys, if you want to share it on your menu, I will be more than happy to send you all the information and the photos you need!

I’ve come across a few Somali food blogs, but the professionalism and authenticy of your blog is quite amazing. I’ve always thought Somali cuisine had great potential to become more mainstream – dishes like Kalaamudo are hidden gems (though I always make a point to my mum of adding potatoes!). I’m a student and not much of a cook; though I do have your website bookmarked! Maybe I’ll attempt one of the recipes, instead of waiting to go back home for mum’s cooking.

I hope more people discover your awesome blog, and I definetely recommend you think about writing a book on Somali cuisine!

Thank you very much, Majid. We are glad you liked the website. You are right about Somali food. Our diversity has given us such a rich food heritage that we can be really proud of.

You said you like potatoes with your Kalaamuddo and that is perfectly good. We have a recipe for Kalaamuddo using mashed potatoes in making the dough. It makes the Kalaamuddo lighter (similar to Gnocchi). We hope to post it with a video some time in the future.

Wow, masha-Allah! This website is awesome. Your introduction is superb and aamiin to your hope for a brighter day.

I am getting married this summer and this made me even more excited about starting a new life with my fiance. We will definitely be using website to create some great dishes. Thank you for sharing your passion with us!!

Soooooooo glad i found your blog, i have finally found decent Somali recipes that i can practice and then cook for my husbands large Somali family.
Thank you soooo much for sharing your Knowledge.
I look forward to reading more of your blog inshaAllah.

ASCWRWBR.im a mom of tree living in Denmark..Iam very happy and excited to came a cross your website. after waching your videos in youtube, i was askin my slef how came i didnt se this before! why anyone ever told me about it!! being ofcoures lil dramtic within myslef lol .cuz of waching how u cooked look so easy and for u to tell all of that in somali put even more smile to my face) i wana thank u with all my heart for basiclly showin me a new way to cook and nye dishies..wich i get excited about everyday.)my Allah bless u and your family..asc

i want to take this opportunity to say to you thank you and welldone. i am very proud of what doing. i personally like to cook and i enjoy cooking. but i felt most of the time that i did not knew some the somali food, this to do with the right guidline, for instant most somali food is passed through one person to another and there is’nt any right measurment and that could lead a lost generational food since there no written recipe
i want thank you agan i am your biggest fan from london
hope to see more inspiration from food
N.B COCONUT( QUBOO)

If someone did a good and very beneficial website, this is it. As a former Restaurant owner, I salute you guys. Very creative and smart couple, keep up the good work. Allaha idin barakeeyo.
Ahmediini Elmi

salaam L&A. your website is amazing. i just recently discover that i have passion for food and your website just inspired me even more. i would like to learn and enjoy cooking amazing recepies but most of time i seem to be at lost. my husband is also a picky eater which limits me from trying new things but i am wondering if there are ways i can work around what he like and still try your wonderful recipes? i know is a weired question but i had to ask lol.

Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuhu,
Thank you for the comment. You can do slight changes and still enjoy cooking. You have to be careful with baking recipes. Thank you and God bless you.

Thank you for this AMAXING website. I have just come across it while looking for Somali cake recipe for a friend and have shared it with friends and family. This is a very professional food blog….Wish you all the success…

Thank you very much. We hope that you will explore the website and find what you are looking for. This blog is still new and we are regularly adding new recipes, so please check back for the latest recipes.

Woow there maybe no other well organized Somali food web page than what this husband and wife team has shared with us…I’m really impressed and will definitely show this site to my wife…I realized you guys write in Swahili…do you guys speak swahili too?…myself I’m a Kenyan Somali living in the States. All your recipe seem yummy. Seems like y’all know what flavor brings out the beauty of Somali food…really enjoyed your effort!

We speak a dialect of Swahili spoken in Brava, Somalia. We can understand Swahili but we can’t speak it. Thank you very much for your comment and we are happy you liked the website. Can we hope that you will surprise your wife with a dish or two?

A friend recommended this blog on Facebook, and it’s really exciting for me to find it! I live far away from my Somali friends and all the great restaurants and cafes I used to go to in Minneapolis. Also, I now eat a plant-based diet, and so it would be great to be able to make the dishes I love using vegan-friendly substitutions. Your instructions are so clear, and the photos are fantastic! Waa mahadsantihiin!

Firstly, I would like to congratulate both of you for the great website. I love all of your recipes, pictures and videos. I learned so much from you guys. I didn’t know much about making Somali dishes and I tried some of your recipes and my mother was so surprised since many of my dishes were a major fail, I look forward to learning more recipes from both of you. Once again congratulations and I wish you guys much success and happiness…

Salaam Alaikum A&L,
My name is Sagal and I like your site!There are many great recipes Nice pictures and videos,very organized and interesting to see how even the traditionally Somali recipes can be so different from person to person..JazakAllah

Asalama Aleykum, Masha Allah! You have created a wonderful blog, congratulation!!! You have made us very proud to have a culture with a wonderful food. Wish you both more success doing what you love to do.
Jazak Allah Khair,
Anab M

I have recently discovered your website and its amazing. I have recommended it to friends and family. Insha Allah could you do a tutorial on malawax and shay somaali. Thank you guys so much what your doing is great. Jazaakumu Allah khayr xx

I am a student studying in beautiful Vancouver. I came across this website when I was navigating the web, searching for Somali recipes like a year ago. Alhamdulilaah I have learned so many things. Thanks for the time you dedicated to professionally presenting Somali food to the world.

may i take this opportunity to thank you for this amazing website. your are doing a fantastic job..please keep doing what you are doing. i tried your rice dish yesterday and it turned out delicious.so simple and easy to follow. Jazakallah Abdullah and laila

Your website is extremely well done and appealing. Congratulations to you both. I love the simplicity and richness (at the same time!)of the somali culinary tradition.

I would love for it to be translated to French.

I was thinking that I’d love to have the recipes at home, I’d ask for a book but today the easiest way to publish is an android/apple app. I would buy your app if you had one, for sure. Think about it guys.

We have now embedded a translation tool into every page. There is a drop down menu under the title of the recipe. There you can select the language of your choice. The translation is not perfect but it does a satisfactory job.

We have been thinking to make an app for Xawaash. When we make the app we will announce it and it will be free for everyone. Thank you very much for your interest in Xawaash.

Thank you very much for the toolbar. I tried it and it wasn’t satisfying, it ruins your commentary, the most important part, and I don’t think it’s accurate enough.
I’m going to test translating “by hand” English to French, if I come up with something good enough I’ll send it to you.

You are right that the machine translation falls short on many levels. When we read some of the translations we had a good laugh about some of the funny things that we read. However, the translation did a fairly decent job when it came to the ingredients. Some friends told us that their relatives who did not speak a word of English, were able to follow the recipe from the ingredients translated into their language and the video which showed the steps.

Thank you for offering to translate. We would indeed be very grateful to you.

Thank you for making this website to help those bring a piece of home with us everywhere we go. I left home and live in Germany, so having this website will soon bring the memories and feelings as well as taste of home, and the love from my mother all the way too me . Thank you and God bless!

salam alikom Abdullahi & Leila I hope you all in great health ,, would you please tell me the brand name of the vegetable spices you often use “the yellow powder” since i also live in Canada.
Ramdan mubrak to ya’ll.

Salam and ramdaan kareem 3alykum.
I just saw your vidoes on youtube and I really like them.
Your recipes are amazing,the way you making them so easy to do is enjoyable to watch.love your kitchen its cleean, keep up the good work .
Rabbina ma3kum.

i want to make the macsharo but I am having problems with pot that I am cooking with. did you guys have any idea where can I get the pot please. My mother told me that there is special pot only for macsharo. I live USA

Beautiful site. Exceptional recipes. Great Team.
I’ve tried a couple of your recipes; your directions are thorough and simple to follow. I’ve begun to enjoy cooking and be proud of final product. Thank you.

Thank you guys for everything. I love you guys because you guys cook or make things that I love to eat. and then show us old Somali, Yaa salaam!!, and the songs. but my number one thing that i love about you guys are, you don’t waste time to talk and talk and talk,. you guys are AMAZING!! please keep up the good work, and please more of our good food.

Okay I would love to get perfect Macsharo, but it is getting hard on me. I did follow everything you told me but it is not working for me. I did put the whole bag pf rice flour. it says 2-lbs. you know what I am thinking maybe the bag I am using is little so much. and it burnts quickly even though I used low heat. please tell what wrong things I am doing.
Thank you so much
~Najma

The recipe says 400g rice flour which is less than one pound. You used 2 pounds, which explains why it is not working. Please also make sure that you use non-glutinous rice flour. We are sure you will get excellent results if you follow the recipe closely.

I would just like to say that you have created a blog which is just simply amazing Masha’Allah. Mabrook!
I am happy to see alot of bravanese foods that I and every other Bravanese and other Somali people loves.
I wish you all the best and keep up the good work!
I’d just like to ask, are you both Bravanese(from miini)?
Insha’Allah, may Allah bring unity to Somalia. AMEEN

ASC
Thanks loved ones Leila & Abdullahi …. Mash Allah, we can see that u r a wonderful family and I pray may Allah bless u. I am a 16 year old girl living in Sweden and I was born in Hargeisa, but I grew up in Sweden Stockholm, and my mother learned to cook from scratch, but that was exactly what we somalian usually eat . Now I usually read almost every day your blog is a wonderful website and I try to cook the nice recipes that you post tx. it is so dat my mother ever ask you that Allah will bless u. so we are grateful for what you created we..llllll done.

Wa’alaikum assalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Hibo, that is a lovely comment! We are so happy that you are learning how to cook at such a young age and that you are helping your mother. Thank you so much for being a regular fan. We hope to post recipes that you will like. God bless you and your family.

We know the ones you are talking about. They are called Buskud Somali and some people confuse them with Kac Kac. They do not have any eggs and are cut into a diamond shape. Kac Kac does not last more that a few days whereas Buskut Somali can last for a very long time. God willing, We will post a recipe for it. Thanks for the question.

I don’t Have Massurement for. 400g so what I did was following. The step you wrote which was 3 3/4 cups rice flour but it did not turn out right though
Can you please help me get it right
I am talking about macsharo

You should not use glutinous rice flour. This recipe works with a specific type of rice flour that we show in the post. The package has 400g of rice flour. You can find it in asian supermarkets. If you use the right type of flour and follow the directions, you should get it right.

hello guys i have quick question. ok I would like to know what is the different between turmeric and curry. Because my Mother had curry power so I went to the store and bought the turmuric power but my mom told they are “HURUUD” need help

Asalaamu calaykum, i am currently a university student studying in london away from home. so it does mean i have to cook for myself and i do miss my hooyos home cooked food immensely. Alhamdullilah i bumped into this site if not i would still be eating fastfood and pre-cooked supermarket meals. This website is great and the recipes are easy to follow and within my budget. I have a lot of friends and they’ve been impressed by the food and are happily embracing the food side of Somali culture ahaha. What you two great individuals are doing is awesome and i wish you the best with everything in life, may you and your family be blessed.
Ameen

Wa’alaikum As-salam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Thank you very much for your awesome compliment. We were truly touched to read your comment. We wish you and your family all the best. May God bless you. Thanks again.

Oh my god i don’t how to express my self this moment im really crying i found this website i don’t know how to thank you guys, you very kind and wonderful people, im very grateful i found my sweet somali food after long time of depression and loneliness i tired eating junk noodles, i really like to support this website to keep a live if there’s a way. keep the good work and thanks again.

Hello Abaayo, Hello Aboowe,
First of all, I want to thank you both for creating such a wonderful and colorful website.
I just discovered your website now and it’s just so good to see all of these recipes who most of them reminds me back home thanks to both of you.
Now, when my friends ask me to talk about somali food, I can suddenly show them your fabulous website and even better, I can cook and get some ideas from your delicous recipes.
What else can I say? well done and keep up the good, warm, spicy ideas about our food that brings family, friends, and loved ones to share happy moments over lovely meal.

I just made my first karis of Xalwo, I am emotional, turned out great. I left Somalia when I was 7 and live all the way in Australia. I have tried making caano baraawe from memory and never understood why it wasn’t turning out right, now I know! your blog is not just about sharing recipes (which in itself is an amazing project) but also showcasing what can be present when there is peace in people’s lives. I was born in Moqdisho but came though Barawe when we were fleeing the war, we stayed there for 2 weeks and I always say that baraawe is a special place. Thank you, thank you thank you!

Also where can I find the songs from the caano baraawe clip and songs of that kind. I like to share Somali music with non Somalis especially non synthesised kinds like this one. Does this Habib fellow have an album that can be downloaded or I can order a CD and pay for it?

What a great website and a great couple. mashalah may god reward you for your efforts and what you are doing for somalis and non somalis that have interest in our culture and food.Your site was recommended to me through a freind and boy am not dissapointed! As a wife i usualy make something new for my husband and he loves my food, so i am looking forward to trying all your recipes.

I discover your site by accident. After so many years of crisis in Somalia, I lost all hope for better Somalia. Seeing people like you and your wife it gives me hope for Somalia. Thank your very much for you guys effort and may Allah reward you. I am so proud of you guys.

I am a huge fan of your website and constantly visit it to learn more on somali food. I believe the young generation of Somalia dispersed worldwide can learn how to cook their native food and not lose our Somali roots. I myself live in south east Asia and the only way I get to improve my Somali dishes is through your website. It really taught me alot and I intend to share this website with my friends and family. Keep up the good work, all the best and I look forward to seeing many new ideas from you.

Wa’alaikum As-salaam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Thank you very much for your nice compliment and so friendly words. We are very happy the website made a good impression on you. Thank you for your words of encouragement and for spreading the word.

Mashallah first let me say what an amazing website both of you created, I have grown up in America where I don’t know how to do some of Somali food like the cookies and bread. Can’t wait to make it today all thanks to both of you bring back memories Mashallah shukran for this wonderful website and blessing us with ur amazing food.

there’s one thing I was hoping to make I am a fan of cashaati please I was looking around haven’t seen that Inashallah soon ill keep on looking for that. Can’t wait to try making all of this inashallah.

Wa’alaikum As-salam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Thank you so much for the wonderful comment. Here is the link for the Kashaato recipe we posted before http://xawaash.com/?p=2967. We hope you will like it.

Salaam Aleykum!
I just really wanted to commend you both for what you’re doing. The presentation of the site is phenomenal and the recipes are amazing. I hope you continue with this project, we all enjoy it. I no longer live close to my Somali relatives and I wish I would’ve been more attentive to my hooyo and ayeeyo when they cooked, but this is a great second best. Mahadsanid!

Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Thank you very much for your generous comment. We are happy you like the website and the recipes. We are also happy about your enthusiasm for cooking and it is never too late to learn.

Your recipes are just lovely. Having said that you have made error in the Somali chutney ingredients you have 1.25 cup (300 ml)salt, in your video it 1 Tbsp (15 ml)salt and tomato paste 1 cup in your video its 1.24 cup (300 ml) tomato paste. I thought of pointing it out so you can put it right for your readers. Thanking you.

Hi Leila.
Thanks for the link to your website – I love it and I’ll be sharing it with many friends!! I am going to try many recipes. I also love your very original (spice) map of Somalia – beautiful.
Hope all is going well for you!
Tracey (at the Y)

ASA. I am from Kenya. My mum is Kenyan and my dad is Somali Kenyan. I grew up eating Somalian food all my life, curtesy of my grand mum and aunties, but never learned to cook it. I moved to the US at age 18 and unfortunately never learned how to make my favorite Somali dishes. I am now married to a non-Somali and I always wished I could cook genuine Somali food in my home. Thanks to your website, I now can. I have made the xabaash spice and it is a staple in almost everything I cook in my house. You have taught me so much and I want to thank you sincerely for this site and what you are doing for Somalis all over the word. You guys are great and Insha Allah you will continue to share with us the rich Somali culture that many of us know nothing about.

Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Thank you very, very much! You delighted us with your wonderful comment. It sure will keep us going. We are very happy we could help and we wish you happiness and success in your life.

Shukran to brother and sister for setting up this blog, I would try some Inshaallah …..but I would like to commend you keeping our tradition,homeland alive by taking time,energy into this site,cheers…very good site as well,clean,beautiful and easy instructions…..cheers

Its really hard to beleive you are somalis because i grow up a community without talented poeple like you , i started crying when i see what you are contrabuting to somali poeple , you are blessed love you so much . And the history will be with you

Thank you very, very much Sacad, for your generous compliment. We were very happy and touched to receive such an awesome comment. We don’t deserve all that praise, but thank you for your generosity. May God bless you.

We thank you alot for this great contribution to our mainly undocumented Somali food culture. With the help of your Shushumoow recipe, my daughter and her Dutch Classmates enjoyed a very funfull afternoon preparing and baking Shushumoow at school. Thank you again and keep on publishing more recipes.

Thank you very much for your comment. We are really happy to know that they had a successful food project. It is great that your daughter shared Somali food with her classmates. Thank you for sharing the story with us.

I really want to thank you about your generosity and free tutorials of our Somali food, I’m Somali student I live China and before this website I really didn’t know how to cook even the smallest dish, and I got sick this country’s food, this website helped me a lot and I thank you again.
Please keep your passion towards our homeland and home-food.

The best food blog yet! I love your thoughtful approach to cuisine, cultures and politics. Thank you and as long as there are more people like you, our region will be a better place. Thanks for the cooking lessons on YouTube. Some of it remind me of the food I had in Harrer growing up, and it speaks to our connectivity beyond borders, race and creed. <3 God bless you.

Thank you very much Eden for your generous comment. We appreciate your kind words and we hope to strive to become the way you described us. We had Harari friends and they were always close to our hearts.

I’m thrilled to learn about your website, I can’t express how greatfull I’m. You are doing a fantastic job and we are so proud of the amazing somali food recipe you posted I will for sure be using it a lot . Masha Allah may Allah keep you safe keep up the good work guys.

Hi there guys, i just want to say what a amazing couple, Im not much of cook but my wife is, so Bravo guys.And I had to share your website with all of my friends on FB. So keep up the good jobs guys,Im soooo proud of you guys.

May ALLAH bless you Leila and Abdillahi and all of us, and may PEACE prevail in our country and in this world.
I really like your website and it’s so professional and easy to follow. since my friend suggested to me I can’t log off from it.
GREAT WORK, GREAT LOVING PEOPLE, GREAT ROOTS OF US.
Yasmeen

Assalamu Alaikum Leyla and Abdullahi… How are you and the family? hopefully everyones well.. Eid Mubarak. Anyways this is Jija, ya Amina osman daughter from NY… Anyhow I love your site.. I wished i knew about this when i got married because I didn’t know how to cook at all. So Ive struggled a lot with the kitchen and went out to eat most of the time.. But when I saw your site several months ago. Im constantly in the kitchen and want to try cooking something new.. I swear I’m on your page every single day.. I think my mom called you and told you. Im so thankful for this site wallahi, it has helped me a lot.
Anyways I’m coming to Canada soon and I might to have a drive to your city to get a first hand glance on your wonderful cooking.. We’ll keep in touch inshallah
Thanks again guys

Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Thank you so much, Jija. We are very happy to hear from you. We are also happy that you found our website helpful. God willing, we hope to see you soon.

I would like to express my gratitude for this wonderful and beautiful website. I never thought soomaali food could be this dimensional and this great. I love the fact that you have videoclips that go along with your recipes, it makes it easier for people like me who find following recipes a tad difficult, to have a go at them and hopefully succeed. Thank you for this website and I love your spice map and the wordings that go with it, indeed we are all different but it is by embracing these differences we can have a better and more beautiful world.

Al slaam alyokom,
I could not resist no commenting in your site..you guys are awesome ..high quility recipes, photoes , website and what it is better than that you are replying to all comments in the youtube in 3 languges in super nice way..you are just great..may Allah reward you for all the effort and wish all the happiness ..i really like the one video without music hope you can make all the new videos like it and one last thing could you give some recipes for healthy food like fat free and sugar free things..it would be just perfect..many thanks and true prayers for both of you

Thank you very much for your wonderful comment. We are very happy that you like the website. God willing, we will post two videos for all future recipes, one with music and the other without. We have a category for healthy choices and we will keep adding to it.

Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
God willing, we plan on creating a page on our website that will explain in full detail how to create a website exactly like Xawaash. We will list all the software tools we use photography as well as video editing techniques.

Thank you for this wonderful and very informative blog. I can’t imagine how much hard work and dedication you’ve put into it but know that both of you are leaving a treasure of history and knowledge for generations to come. As a Somali who grew up in the diaspora I know nothing about the food of our people. Moreover, as we are mainly an oral-based society, it’s almost impossible for our parents’ generation to pass their knowledge to our generation and thereafter. So thanks for doing this wonderful and priceless work. I hope one day you will both be recognized for being true heroes of Somalia and national treasure. May Allah protect and reward you; Aamin ya rab.

Om,

PS: A quick story of how I found your blog. I bring and share my food with my best friend and colleague at work so today I brought a Shushumoow for snack and he loved so he asked me the name of it as he often does so I told him. I usually stop there because I don’t know anything about how my mom makes the dishes so today I decided to Google to find if there’s anything about Shushumoow that I could share with him. To my amazement I found your blog with not only the recipes and how to make them but with video instruction! Now my buddy asked his wife to make for him I’m hoping to try a Shushumoow made by my buddy’s Pakistani wife!

Thank you very much for your heart-warming comment. We feel really touched! It is nice to know that the effort we put in this website is being recognized. We enjoyed reading the story about how you stumbled upon the website. We wish you all the best.

Thanks to all your efforts for creating this brilliant website. I am a very innovative person, i love to be in the kitchen trying out new recipes. As i am from Britain, I always love to watch cooking programs like Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off. But having tried your recipes, i find it SO much easier to follow and it turns out GREAT so thanks for all your hard work!
Keep producing fab recipes in the future plz!

Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Thank you very much for your wonderful comment. We are very happy that you found the recipes so easy to follow. We hope to continue posting more great recipes. We wish you all the best.

Masha allah what a wonderful website this is ….Thank you so much for posting all of these yummy recipes, you have inspired me to be a better cook and may Allah subhaana wata alah reward you both for all your efforts ameen.

Wow!
What a joy to have found you. I love the arty way you present the food. I am mesmerised with the beauty and the love that shows through the pictures, music and videos. What an awsome pair of embassadors you are for your country Somalia, for Africa, and humanity.
La cuisine ne m’a jamais touché aussi fort comme je l’ai senti en regardant vos creations artistiques. Une grande rencontre entre art et cuisine.
Je vous aime sans jamais vous avoir rencontré.
Un frére du Maroc en Autriche.

Mashallah ,
shukran for all the work you do. you are so wonderful for turning my laziest daughter into a chef. your details are good and you have the best decorating skills in the WORLD! i was wondering if you can make a few decorating tip videos
Shukran

Acs walaalaheyga qaaliga ah first thank you so much that u guys have amazing web that any one can fall in love the way u guys make cooking soo easy most of somali woman and man spacial dadka qurbada joogo like the singal man and woman who dont have family and some one like me who born and grow up barawa family and well know how to cook but not that easy way you guys made the food again thanks and keep up the good work and may Allah swt bless you and ur family

my name is mohamed abdirahman hassan and i appreciate you guys what you are doing,i learned how to cook through you website and i subscribed to your youtube channel, which i learned there and it is 2 yrs since i started learning how to cook atleast for now i know all the basic somali food which i appreciate you guys your hardworking and giving back to the society and i am leaving to you a qoute saying ”everyone wants to be appreciated,so if you appreciate someone,don’t keep it a secret.

Mashallah. That’s all I can say. I love how the xawaash videos are so easy to follow and the variety of different dishes. I’ve been using this site for couple years now and it just gets better. Congrats and Thanks

I came across your YouTube channel while looking for Basbusa recipes and am so glad I did!!! Thank you for all the simple and clear instructions. As a new bride and housewife, this is great way to start my cooking.

I hope this blessed Ramadan reaches you in high spirits and goodwill. My mum came across your website last year and since then we’ve both been hooked. I’m able to cook your orange juice cake with my eyes closed and the results always surprise me. My mum has cooked half the recipes on your website, all so tasty I forgot that somali traditional food could be so yummy!! This Ramadhan you’ve cooked for us! Your delicious shourba, your apple fritters, your fail-proof bajiya, your easy honeycomb bread. I’m so thankful for this website. Its simplicity and its easy to follow instructions. I owe you a world of thanks. May your family always be blessed and in good health.

I, truly want to thank you both for making this website possible.Some of us,are second or third generation of Somalian’s.And, we don’t know our traditional dishes. My husband surely appreciated my efforts to make some of our own foods. I have one suggestion to make, which is work on your recipe finder. Sometimes it takes me a longer time to find a specific dish.
Jazakum allah kheer

Dear Layla & Abdullahi, Greetings to you both and wish you well in Canada!! First of all I would like to start by saying I thank you both for your countless effort and making sensational videos and this blog full of somali recipe etc. I have always dreamed and wished for this day to come and yes, you guys made it happen so thank you both. May Allah grant you both ajar, what your hearts desire n most of all janatul firdos!! I am new to this as i have found out about it recently and really are grateful that I did but wished I had known it longer as I wouldn’t have struggled making samosa pastry and would have learnt much more lol. I enjoy watching your videos and seeing all the different somali dishes that are out there. It has been really inspiring to see you and your effort on helping the young Somali generation in Europe like myself for instance in UK. I can’t thank you enough for reaching out to us and lending us a helping hand with the cooking recipes etc. I would like to request more somali desserts videos n recipes. Thank you both ever so much x xKeep it coming xx

Thank you very much, Niya, for your kind greetings, prayers and lovely comment. It is nice to know that the effort we put in this website is being recognized. We are delighted to know that the website has been useful to you. Thank you very much for your encouraging words. God bless you.

From Djibouti, I would like send my warmest congratulations. I encourage you to go forward and pray to Allah that you do enjoy his mercy because he is the most merciful. I wish you a long life to you both. Merci.

Hello Layla and Abdullahi, I have been coming to your website for a very long time and I absolutely love the recipes. You’ve done us Somalis so proud by showcasing our wonderful culture!

My daughter recently came to visit after going to a friend for afur, and she told me that she tried a Somali dish called Kay Kay. I may be getting the spelling wrong here, however I was wondering if you were familiar with this dish and if so we’d both love to see a recipe from you please. Also, xaneed as it’s a great dish but quite complicated to prepare properly I think.

Hi Lyla & Adbullahi
I was so tempted to try out your Lentill soup recipe and it turned out really good except one thing I was missing XAWAASH powder. I live in Edmonton AB, wondering where do I find this powder in here?

hello cabdullahi, as a young man I don’t see cooking as a career but a house chore, in that u don’t cook u’ll starve or u will go to eat from a restaurant. very funny ,especially when girls and mom are there to cook, . Anyway am a great cook and to be honest I don’t follow any recipe but I love ur cooks u are very straight u help Somalis all over to know some recipes for translating them kudos, one day u’ll get old and who knows that I might replace u. Have a great day,would u?

Thank you for the kitchen aid name sister. I was wondering where you got the cookie attachment for the kitchen aid. Is that the one u got from Somalia. I have the other one but it’s hard to use so i want the other one u have. I learned a lot from your channel and it helped me a lot. I really like the food jazakumullahkair sister. Are you barawa do u speak chimini because I am barawa

I appreciate the work you do so very much I live in kenya n I hope n pray DAT one day I Will cook like you guyz. I have never had the opportunity to live with Somalis or learn our kind of food am married n I pray u guyz could help me achieve my dream. Pls thru my email send me your telephone noz so I can at least get in touch to be honest I have tried most the foods but I don’t know mine never turns out as good. May Allah bless u n hoping to hear from you one on one. Many thanks. Fatma

Thank you very much, Fatma, for your kind words. You need to follow the recipes closely; you will also need to use measuring cups. The best way to get in touch with us is through our email mail@xawaash.com.

Dear Friends
You have given to Somalis the greatest and the most precious present one can give to them: you have given them an identity; you have shown the world that Somalia has something to offer humanity, and that Somalia is not necesarilly always a place of conflicts and miseries as we are given to believe through the world media.
And in sharing with the world your culinary knowledge,acquired through hard work and much sacrifice, you have shown to us that you are selfless. Most of the food items in your kit come from Brava and its coastal environs; as such they are qite new to many of your audience. Nevertheless,the food, you insisted, is from Somalia. Brava is in Somalia; therefore, if the food is from Brava, it must be from Somalia. That is how you think. What does that tell me about you, as a couple? Well, this is what it tells me: it tells me that you aspire for an identity that is larger than the total sum of the narrow forms of identity to which we have fallen hostage. You are a role model. Long live Xawaash enteprise. Long live beautiful Somalia

Thank you very much, Rage, for your words of encouragement. It is nice to know that the effort we put in this website is being recognized. We feel really touched and motivated to do even better. We wish you all the best. Thank you again.

salaamu aleikum i really liked your program of cooking keep up the hard work.
May Allah bless you.
I live in manchester if i want the buskut machine ( the multi mashine you used for the biscuit ) where can I get please.

I have never in my life commented on any website. But your website has left me so thrilled. Being a Muslim I feel so proud of your work, and excited of what our Ummah can do. Mashallah your professionalism is outstanding, in fact I end up watching your videos twice. Initially I become mesmerised by the quality then I remember that I need to watch what you are making so I have to play the video again. Mashallah your thoughtfulness like having the video with music and without is truly a blessing. I have only tried you Mamoul recipe and judging the way my boys have devoured them, they were a success. So not only do you give professional quality recipes, they even work. May Allah swt grant you success. In duniyah and the akhirah!

I’ve seen all your videos on youtube and can not get enough!
Your recipes are very successful and well-explained everything.

Sometimes I miss the size of the pan or round shape that you are using but beyond that, there is absolutely nothing to complain about.

I do not have a really good recipe for mamuol madd ask ashta / kastha and have not found a good online. (There are some but not good when I tried )
Wish you could make a good recipe that cake soaked in syrap and cut into fine squares.
The cake should both have semolina and flour. It should be slightly crumbly in texture on.

Hope it goes to fix!
Otherwise, why will it not new recipes? Everything what comes from you is good!

Firstly, you two do a fantastic job cooking up great meals, sharing your recipes, and maintaining this website. My family and I Thank you guys so much for everything.

Secondly, I was wondering if you have a recipe for “Soubla”? It is melted down fat from sheep, sometimes called bourera. In Aden, it is found in Somali restaurants and is put on khobz (roti), on top of fasouli, etc. It is soooooooooo delicous. My mom used to make it for us but I never paid close attention to her (too bad). I hope you can help. Thank you so much again. Also, can you please email me your response directly to my email: tonowal@hotmail.com

Hi my name is mohamed khadar I am a 20 year old from London England who currently resides and studies university in Cairo Egypt. I live my with a couple of other guys and had lots of difficulties cooking food since my hooyo used to do it for me.then I came across your website and I wanted to tell what two beautiful couple and humans you are. You took your precious time to help people and making difference to people life’s, I can not speak for others but to me you guys have made a lot of differences to my life and I wanted to thank you for your hard work. May Allah grant all your wishes and make both of you happy in your life’s.
P.s sorry for the long comment but I wanted to tell how great full I am for your website.. keep the good work and looking forward to your future work .. Thanks again

Asc wr wb
I just got ur video by chance I was searching for a receipt to make baqlawa’s filo and was soo surprised to see a somali made video that explains it. this was so amazing and surprisingly great to see somali channel witha professional work. Im hereby congratulating u guys and wishing u a brighter future. and thanks for the heads up ur giving to our broken Somalia.
I see ur restaurant is finished and although am far from canada but if it happens that I come there oneday ur restaurant will be my first destination.
cheers

Masha Allah you are doing great job. may Allah reward you Hazanaat as you are helping His people. I personally appreciate you because I am learning from you now as I am getting ready to be a husband soon. I am heavily impressed by the way you are linked as a couple, a husband and a wife and as lovers!
Keep up with the kind and good spirit I am sure you will succeed in life.

I love you guys so much every time I watch your videos it makes me want to cry I love to watch my back ground and where I have come from I bless you succeed in any thing that God’s through at you if I had a million dollars I would give it to you guys so you guys could open up multiple restaurants across the globe we tried traveling to Canada once just to come to your restaurant but they turned us back around because my husband a DWI case from 12 years ago they told us we need USA permanent residency or something soon as I get that for him and I will we will come to you guys restaurant please if you guys have children and pass on the recipes I would like very much for our Legacy to go on and I’m never forgotten and thank you so much for opening up a Blog and Food Channel you cook all the food that my grandmother my aunt and my mom used to make May God bless your hands and tell your husband he’s lucky to have you once again thank you so much

i love your site and passion. thank u so much. i am a
international soul. I cook greek turkish…indian..indonesian
and I love to learn how to cook somali food. my neighbours are from somalia. we share a lot of goids together and we really enjoy this loving accepting energy.

Hello
can someone from this website please email me directly? I work in a museum with a large Somali collection. We are interested in interpreting some objects relating to food preparation and are looking for some information. thank you.

Asscww,
Maasha.allah guys. Really good idea and good work. I love cooking and I have a passion for the kitchen. Thank you very much for your website. I really enjoyed for the preparation of Kac-Kac and I will do as soon as possible insha.allah. I’m from Somalia, living in Italy since 2008.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Zakaria

Nabad,
Aniga Maarekin Somali. Unfortunately that is all that I can remember these days. My wife, Carole, and I lived in Merca and Mogadishu before you were born. We were part of the first group of Peace Corps Volunteers to live and work in Somalia from 1962-1964. We came to love Somalia and the Somali people. We get to drive from LA to San Diego occasionally to buy sambusi, eat semi-Somali food, and spend a few hours in a Somali tea shop talking to old men about what we remember of the good days and tell the younger men of what they have missed and unfortunately will never get to see. What is interesting is that the teashops look like Mogadishu and, most important, smell like Mogadishu. It is all good…charcoal smoke, steaming milk and tea, rich spices, crisp meat, lamb, the occasional goat, but unfortunately no camel, no camel milk. I am so very happy to find your web site and your recipe for Xawaash. I will be making a large batch this week. Do you also sell it?
We have a on line group called Friends of Somalia. It’s made up mostly of the couple hundred Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Somalia in the good days. Three of the RPCV’s just recently returned from acting as Election Poll Watchers in Somaliland.